John Joyce won three counties in 13th Congressional District race

Voters talk briefly about why they came to the polls at Mount Pleasant United Brethren Church, Chambersburg, to vote during the primary election.
Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion

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Dr. John Joyce speaks during a Q & A for U.S. Congress representative for the 13th Congressional District. The event was held at Menno Haven on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.(Photo: Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion)Buy Photo

UPDATE: Dr. John Joyce, GOP nominee to represent the Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District in Washington, D.C., commented on his election victory: “I will work very hard for the people of the 13th Congressional District. This race was very exciting and in the end our positive message prevailed. I will always put the people of central Pennsylvania first, not DC special interests. I am truly honored and humbled.”

ALTOONA -- Portraying himself as a political outsider, Dr. John Joyce is likely to succeed Rep. Bill Shuster in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Joyce announced his victory in the GOP primary in Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District shortly before 11 p.m. in Altoona. Shuster stood behind him as he made his victory speech.

Joyce, an Altoona dermatologist, won the district by more than 1,500 votes over his nearest competitor in the eight-man field. He had 22 percent of the vote. State Sen. John Eichelberger, a long time Shuster opponent, had 20 percent.

Joyce won three of the 10 counties in the district, but consistently ran among the leaders in nearly every other county in the sprawling 13th. His campaign did not respond to calls to comment.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent in the last days of the campaign. Dark money groups bought attack ads. Halvorson, Joyce and Eichelberger were hit.

Retired Army Col. Doug Mastriano of Fayetteville captured Franklin County by more than 3,500 votes, but wound up fourth districtwide. Franklin is the second largest county in the 13th District. Mastriano finished more than 4,000 votes behind the leaders in Blair, the district’s largest county.

A third of Republicans registered in Blair County voted. In Franklin County, 27 percent of Republicans voted.

Candidates found their support by region. They carved up Blair County, the most populous county in the district. Joyce won Blair and Somerset counties, but not by enough to give him the victory. He scored well most everywhere else. His worst performances: less than 12 percent of the vote in Cumberland, Franklin and Fulton counties.

State Rep. Steve Bloom finished in third place largely due to overwhelming support in Adams and Cumberland counties near his Carlisle home.

Bloom had 74 percent of the vote in Cumberland County. He topped second-place Joyce (7 percent) by more than 2,800 votes. Overall voter turnout in Cumberland County was 22 percent.

In Blair County, Joyce had about 800 more votes than Eichelberger, and twice as many votes as Halvorson. Joyce got 37 percent of the vote, Eichelberger 32 percent and Halvorson 17 percent.

Joyce won Somerset County by more than 600 votes where Shuster personally campaigned for him. Joyce had 29 percent of the vote. Halvorson had 20 percent, Bloom 16 percent and Mastriano 14 percent. Eichelberger, who manned the same poll where Shuster appeared, got 15 percent.

Joyce also won the portion of Cambria County that is in the district by 150 votes. Eichelberger was second.

Halvorson won his home county of Bedford by nearly 1,000 votes and 38 percent of the vote. Joyce had 21 percent and Eichelberger 20 percent.

Eichelberger won Huntington County by nearly 1,000 votes. He had 40 percent of the vote to 19 percent for Joyce and 18 percent for Mastriano.

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Election day sign(Photo: Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion)

Eichelberger edged Halvorson by about 100 votes in the small portion of Westmoreland County that is in the district.

Here are the preliminary totals from the count on election night:

John Joyce - 14,627 votes or 22 percent.

John H. Eichelberger Jr. - 13,104 votes or 20 percent.

Steve Bloom - 12,208 votes or 18 percent.

Doug Mastriano - 10,487 or 16 percent.

Arthur L. Halvorson - 10,175 votes or 15 percent.

Travis Schooley - 3,032 votes or 5 percent.

Bernie Washabaugh II - 1,909 votes or 3 percent.

Ben Hornberger - 1,185 or 2 percent.

Brent M. Ottaway, a Hollidaysburg resident and associate professor of communications at St. Francis University, Loretto, was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

County boards of elections are expected to certify results in the coming days.

The GOP holds a solid majority in voter registration in the 13th District, so Joyce is likely to win the general election.

The 13th District stretches from Adams County west to Westmoreland County and north to Blair and Huntingdon counties. Parts or all of 10 counties are in the district – all of Adams, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Bedford, Blair and Somerset counties and parts of Cumberland, Cambria and Westmoreland counties.